Men Charged In Fatal Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – After nearly a three year investigation, the Broward Sheriff's Office has filed criminal charges in connection with a deadly in a hyperbaric chamber which took the lives of a young boy and his grandmother.
Four year old Francesco Martinisi and 62-year-old Vincenza Pesce suffered critical burns when a hyperbaric chamber caught fire at the Ocean Hyperbaric Center in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. Pesce died the next day and four-year old Francesco survived only a few weeks before passing away.
Francesco, who suffered from cerebral palsy, had travelled to South Florida from Italy where the treatment is outlawed.
Lance Bark, 51, who was a technician and safety director at the time, was booked into the Broward Jail Wednesday afternoon. He and Dr. George Daviglus, who was the center's medical director, face charges of manslaughter and aggravated manslaughter. The charges were the result of a joint investigation with the State Fire Marshall's Office and BSO.
Investigators believe the fire was started by static electricity inside the chamber. It took nearly two minutes to free the two, who were completely engulfed in flames.
Investigators noted various electrical issues with the "Vickers" hyperbaric chambers such as burned wiring and soldered exposed wiring. The chambers were dusty, and some were rigged using electrical extension cords taped together with electrical tape and broken indicator lights on the chamber controls.
Investigators said Bark and Daviglus failed to make the sure the chambers were properly grounded and maintained. They also failed to have the required annual inspections of the chambers and failed to make sure the patients were wearing the proper attire. They didn't know the proper decompression procedures once the fire started and didn't properly supervise the patients while they were inside the chamber, according the sheriff's office investigation.
In addition, detectives found a 2008 letter to the center detailing age-related problems with the "Vickers" hyperbaric chambers indicating that the employees knew of the problems. The chamber in question was built in 1967 and refurbished in 1984.
Dr. Daviglus will reportedly turn himself in Monday with his attorney. The center, which closed for a brief time, has since reopened under a new name, the Neubauer Center.
